Sexually Frustrated? How To Deal, Whether You're Single Or In A Relationship

"Sexual frustration is dissatisfaction with one's sex life and can be due to quantity or quality issues," board-certified sexologist Jessica Cline, MSW, Ph.D., tells mbg. You could have frequent sex and still be sexually frustrated, or the tension arises because you feel you don't have enough of it or your needs don't get met. 

While sexual frustration and horniness can intersect and share some similarities, they're not the same. "Horny is the desire or arousal for sexual activity and can have more of a positive tone, as culturally we use the term to imply we are turned on," Cline explains. You can be horny but not sexually frustrated, though being horny with unmet sexual needs can easily cause frustration. 

If you're in a funk and being short with your partner when you communicate, it might not be because of a bad day at work—you could be sexually frustrated. 

"While negotiating sex is an important part of relationships, people don't always know how to communicate what they need, which can be very frustrating," explains sex-positive psychotherapist Ashley D. Sweet, M.A., LPC, LMHC, CCRC. 

Sweet believes that because American society doesn't teach young adults how to negotiate and talk about sex and desire comfortably, "Those young folks grow into old folks who find themselves older and more experienced but still without the skills to effectively communicate about sex."

The benefits of sex and a healthy sex drive extend way beyond pleasure and mind-blowing orgasms. Sex is also great for our physical health, says Cline, and it's a great stress-reducer. Plus, "Sex can lower blood pressure, reduce pain, improve sleep, and improve heart health."

We're sexual beings, which means pleasure and desire are our birthrights, says Sweet. In Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, sex is in the same category as food and water, showing that many people experience sex as a vital and baseline need. "When we can't get our sexual needs met, this can be frustrating," she says, especially because of the importance of connection to the human experience.

Unhealthy perspectives on sex also contribute to sexual frustration "Thoughts like 'I should be having more sex,' or 'someone should give me more sex,'" for example, are a big culprit, says urologist and life coach Kelly Casperson, M.D. 

"I think sometimes people believe they deserve to have their sexual desires met by a partner," shares Sweet. Often, this belief stems from their upbringing, society, gender roles, religion, past partners, "or straight-up selfishness." 

Many medical issues can lead to a lowered sex drive and impede your ability to have sex or orgasm, which can naturally make a person feel sexually frustrated. 

The tension of sexual frustration can pass naturally, so the easiest way to deal with being sexually frustrated is to simply wait it out. There are also plenty of outlets to help you relieve that energy, like exercise and meditation.

"Sexual frustration is a form of stress, so stress management techniques that work for other forms of stress likely apply here," explains Sweet. "In the therapy work, we call it self-care." 

If you feel you're not having enough sex in your relationship, that's more common than people and movies let on. "Mismatched sex drive [affects] every couple," says Casperson. "We need to normalize this." 

You and your partner won't always be horny together, so the best way to navigate the sexual frustration that may arise is through communication. 

"One of the biggest solutions to desire differences—which happens to most couples at some point in their relationship—is communication," shares Cline. "Most couples are able to talk about a lot of stuff but have a hard time talking about sex."

Two of the biggest issues Cline sees in sex therapy are a lack of confidence and communication. 

Every relationship needs to negotiate the rules of engagement for sex and romance and to renegotiate them over time, Sweet says. Additionally, Casperson advises people to realize "Your partner is not responsible to fulfill all of your needs or desires."

Sweet recommends people talk with their partners about how to best compromise on the mismatch of desire. She often works with couples where penis-in-vagina sex is off the table, but mutual masturbation, heavy petting, kissing, massage, sexting, reading erotica together, watching porn, and other activities are OK. 

"When it comes to desire, most of us respond to what helps us feel connected and loved (responsive desire), so it's up to us to do those things to help invoke our lover's desire," says Marla Renee Stewart, M.A, sexologist and sex expert for adult wellness retailer Lovers.

If you and your partner's sexual urges don't match, learn what turns them on through conversations about desire, seduction, fetishes, erogenous zones, and more, even if you think you already know. 

"In some cases, seeing a therapist or educator who specializes in clinical sexology can help a couple reconcile the difference in sexual desire," Sweet says. Rather than getting their partner to participate or express interest in sex, she finds that "for most folks, the hardest thing is talking to their partner about their needs, fantasies, and desires."

Whether you're flying solo or in a committed relationship, sexual frustration is a common experience we've all had—that means there's nothing wrong with you or your body for feeling this way.